1 August 2005
A Leatherback Turtle1, the largest reptile in the world, was
found dead entangled in fishing gear off Bottallack, near Lands
End on the north Cornwall coast on Monday. British Divers Marine
Life Rescue (BDMLR)2 medics Rory Goodall, Barry Andrew and Phil
Hazell found the enormous turtle entangled in lobster pot buoy
ropes, after it was initially spotted by a helicopter crew
undertaking a survey from RNAS Culdrose. Rory, of Elemental Tours
Wildlife Cruises said,
"Initially I thought the turtle was still
alive and in the hope that we could rescue it, I called BDLMR
local area coordinators and guided them into the locality."
Sadly, the turtle had been entangled for some time and on
closer inspection was found to be dead. The
CWT Strandings Network was contacted by BDMLR. The two
organisations regularly work together and, in a joint operation,
their teams of volunteers immediately swung into action.
 Sennen Cove Inshore Lifeboat, which was on exercise in the
area, kindly towed the turtle to shore at Cape Cornwall. The
animal was around 6 ft. long and it took a large team of
volunteers to lift it. From there it was taken to the VLA at
Truro for examination by scientists. Only six dead leatherbacks
have been recorded in Cornwall and this animal offered a rare
opportunity to learn more about the species and take samples
for DNA testing.
"It was wonderful to have so many organisations working
together to secure this important animal" said Joana Doyle,
Marine Conservation Officer for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
Joana continued, "We're very grateful to the Sennen Cove Lifeboat
crew; our volunteers and those of BDMLR; local fishermen and the
Cape Cornwall Slipway Association; the National Trust and
members of Gulf Stream Scuba, all of whom did a fantastic job."
Joana Doyle continued,
"Leatherback turtles are critically
endangered3 and are threatened not only by entanglement in
fishing gear, but also by ingesting marine litter such as
plastic carrier bags and balloons, probably mistaking them for
jellyfish." Despite their tropical origins, Leatherback turtles
are frequent visitors to Cornwall, travelling thousands of miles
from their warm breeding grounds to our cooler waters to feed on
jellyfish. Rory Goodall of Elemental Tours
said, "As
a marine wildlife boat trip operator it’s great to know that
these amazing animals are regular visitors to our shores. On the
other hand as a conservationist and a Cornwall Wildlife Trust
strandings volunteer it is sad to think that this magnificent
creature had taken so long to grow to this size, brave so many
dangers from people, pollution and predators, such as sharks and
killer whales, then travelled across thousands of miles of ocean
from its tropical birth place only to die in lobster pot buoy
ropes in a Cornish bay."
Please report all encounters with marine turtles in the UK,
to help our understanding of their distribution and behaviour in
UK waters and to help prevent such deaths in future. You can
also participate in the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)4 Beachwatch or Adopt-a-Beach litter campaigns to help reduce the
amount of litter in the sea. Please also take part in the MCS
jellyfish survey to help scientists understand the relationship
between marine turtles and their food.
1. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is so
different from the six other marine turtle species that it is in
a taxonomic family all of its own called Dermochelyidae. This
species has remained virtually unchanged since it first began
swimming in the world's oceans more than 90 million years ago.
Despite its long existence, many things about the leatherback
remain a mystery to scientists. We have not yet been able to
determine the answers to some basic questions, such as how long
leatherbacks live or how quickly they grow. We are only now
beginning to understand what routes leatherbacks take on their
long transoceanic journeys, and what hazards they face
throughout their lives. The leatherback turtle is the world's
largest reptile. It is significantly larger than all other
marine turtles. A leatherback's carapace (upper shell) can grow
to more than two metres in length, and the turtles can weigh
more than 900 kilograms. The leatherback is the only sea turtle
that does not have a hard shell or scales. Instead, its carapace
is covered with the leathery skin that gives the turtle its
name. The leatherback turtle ranges further than any other
reptile, with single turtles migrating across entire ocean
basins. Leatherbacks can be found in the tropical, temperate and
boreal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. They
are also found in the Mediterranean Sea.
2. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) is proud of the
fact that they are an entirely voluntary organisation
(registered charity: 803438). For more information visit
www.bdmlr.org.uk
3. The leatherback turtle is listed as critically endangered
by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and is protected in
Britain under the following:
4. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK Charity
dedicated to the protection of the marine environment and its
wildlife. For more information visit
www.mcsuk.org
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